


Art Therapy

by radioactivesaltghoul



Series: reylo-oriented polyamory [6]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Calligraphy, Canon Compliant, Established Reylo, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, No Pregnancy, OT3, Polyamory, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Safe to Read if You're Triggered by Pregnancy, Therapy, established finnrey, stormtroopers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:21:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21539686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radioactivesaltghoul/pseuds/radioactivesaltghoul
Summary: Despite both being in a relationship with Rey, Ben and Finn have never really tried to move past their shared history in the First Order. Now that the war is over, however, things are different. When Ben volunteers to teach calligraphy through Finn’s new stormtrooper rehabilitation program, he starts to realize that maybe he was wrong about Finn. Maybe Finn doesn’t hate him at all.
Relationships: Finn/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Finn/Rey (Star Wars), Finn/Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: reylo-oriented polyamory [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077308
Comments: 20
Kudos: 37
Collections: Finnlo-Focused Multiship Anthology 2019, Queerly Beloved Reylo Fics





	Art Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2019 Finnlo-Focused Multiship Anthology. I had a blast writing this. Thank you so much to Jessa and QueenOfCarrotFlower for all of the work you guys did to organize this project and for betaing this. An additional thanks to Lilander for betaing as well, and QueenOfCarrotFlowers for the moodboard. I couldn't have done it without you guys <3

Ben still can’t believe that the Resistance—sorry, the New Republic—let him live after all he’s done for the First Order. Don’t get him wrong, he’s still getting punished, but he’s alive and (somewhat) free. 

“It’s like you’re under house arrest,” Poe Dameron had said after the trial was over, snickering the whole time. “Complete with ankle monitoring bracelet and everything.” 

Ben knows that an ankle monitoring bracelet wouldn’t stop him if he _really_ tried to be free (after all, what’s a simple monitor when you’re one of the most powerful Force-sensitives to ever live?), but he’s not going to try. He wants to repent for his sins, after all.

And then there’s Rey, who has never stopped passionately believing in the Resistance. Ben doesn’t think he could live without her, which he knows is vaguely desperate, but the fact remains that she’s absolutely worth sticking around for. She isn’t the entire reason he left the First Order, but she was the first person to trust him when he said he’d defected. Hell, his own _mother_ doesn’t trust him, although he can’t blame her.

He did kill his father, after all.

It’s Finn who he’s most intrigued by, however. The former stormtrooper has been a star with the Resistance, first as a symbol of hope that there are good people in the First Order, and then as a hero who led them all into battle. Now, his post-war efforts have taken a humanitarian turn: he’s spearheading a program to rehabilitate the surviving stormtroopers. Ben knows this before it’s officially announced thanks to Rey, who has always been close with Finn. “I don’t think it’s possible not to bond with the person you escaped your homeworld with,” she once said to Ben. Upon hearing the word _bond,_ his heart gave a strange jolt. She must have felt it, because she hurriedly said, “Not like the bond you and I share, Ben. There’s nothing like this in the galaxy.” And then she kissed him, and there wasn’t much more talking after that for a while.

Still, he knows that Rey and Finn have a _thing_ , not completely unlike the _thing_ he and Rey have. He can sometimes feel her affection for the former stormtrooper through the Force bond, and it’s...strange, to be able to feel someone else’s affection and not know what to do with it. Rey doesn’t discuss it much, and Ben doesn’t press for details. He doesn’t want to intrude, and he knows that she doesn’t love him any less than she loves Finn. He’s okay with it, for the most part. He just wishes he understood it more.

To give his partner credit, she doesn’t push for both of her partners to be close. There’s too much in the way, and Finn knows a side of Ben that Rey has only seen through glimpses of Ben’s memories and a handful of battles. As far as he can tell, Finn isn’t in any hurry to become friends with the man formerly known as Kylo Ren, either. Ben can’t blame him.

Finn’s stormtrooper rehabilitation program, however. That. _That_ is something Ben is interested in.

Rey mentions it in passing one night while they’re eating dinner. Ben doesn’t go out much (Dameron wasn’t exaggerating when he used the phrase “house arrest”), so she usually brings dinner on the nights she stays at his place. She has her own apartment on Chandrila, although he’s not sure why she bothers. She spends half of her nights with Ben and the other half with Finn. Half of his drawers are full of her clothing. He has a feeling it’s similar at Finn’s apartment, although he has yet to confirm that.

“It’s a brilliant idea,” she says. “And there have been so many people coming forward to help design and run the program. Can you believe there are people called ‘therapists’ who are trained to listen to you and solve your problems?”

“I don’t think that’s what therapy really is,” Ben says, “but I’m glad there’s a program in place. I never had any involvement in the stormtrooper program, but it can’t be easy to leave the place you’ve known all your life.” Secretly, he’s interested in the therapy aspect of this, but he doesn’t think he has any business working with the stormtrooper therapists. After all, he _chose_ to join the First Order. He wasn’t taken from his family when he was a small child. He doesn’t think Snoke’s lifelong influence on him counts.

As if knowing where his thoughts are going, Rey puts her utensils down to give Ben a look. She could literally read his mind if she wanted thanks to their Force bond, which has never wavered in strength, but she knows him well enough by now that she doesn’t need to do so at the moment. “You could get involved, you know.”

“I’m not—wasn’t—a stormtrooper.”

“No, but you were with the First Order,” she says gently.

“Finn hates me.”

“How do you know?”

Now it’s his turn to shoot her a look. They all know why Finn hates Ben. He has the scar to prove it. “Just because you scarred him doesn’t mean he hates you. You of all people should know that.” She’s right, but Ben can’t believe that Finn would ever be comfortable with him around. “Just think about it,” she says. “Please.”

* * *

Ben spends his days consulting with the new government formed from the Resistance. Initially, there was a lot of push back about this, but most people have come around to the idea that Ben has a lot of useful knowledge and experience in these matters. The fact that he’s the son of Leia Organa doesn’t hurt his reputation as a political advisor, either. (He’s not a _politician_. He refuses to be.) Rey works as a sort of consultant, too, but she’s more focused on bringing stability to and representation from worlds like Jakku, worlds full of beings who have been forgotten and ignored for too long.

It’s strange how everyone adapts to a post-war life. Hux and the other remaining First Order leadership are all serving life sentences, with the exception of Dopheld Mitaka, who, surprisingly, followed Ben into joining up with the Resistance and is now working as an interior decorator, helping to design the new government buildings. Poe Dameron is still working as a pilot, of course, but he's now a flight instructor as opposed to an army commander. Chewbacca has gone back to Kashyyyk, which is fine by Ben, as there's an uncomfortable silence every time the two of them are in a room together. And Ben is, well...he's unfulfilled.

He starts looking into Finn's stormtrooper rehab program, first by doing anonymous HoloNet searches, and then by trying to pick up tidbits from conversation in the capitol. He knows he could snoop through Rey's mind, of course, but he would never violate her trust like that. Besides, he learned the hard way how good she is at giving him everything she's got.

Ben's not quite sure why he doesn't want Rey to know how interested he is in Finn. Probably because he doesn't want _Finn_ to know how interested he is in him, and he doesn't want to ask Rey to keep something like that from her other partner. It's possible that the curiosity he has about Finn is solely due to Rey's attachment to the former stormtrooper, but Ben's not sure how to confirm that.

Eventually, however, someone picks up on his snooping.

"So," Dameron says, sitting down across the table from Ben one morning. "I hear you're interested in Finn's stormtrooper program." They're in the capitol building's cafeteria. Ben's nursing a cup of caf, and he can't exactly tell the Resistance hero to kriff off in the middle of the central government building.

"Who told you that?" Ben says, trying not to sound too defensive. It's times like this when he almost misses the mask’s voice modulator.

"No one," the pilot says. "I just heard you were asking around."

Ben frowns. "Are you monitoring my HoloNet search history?" Maybe incognito mode doesn't apply when you're under house arrest.

Dameron rolls his eyes. "Why don't you just talk to Rey about it?" he asks, avoiding Ben's question completely. That's a yes, then, about the HoloNet monitoring. Good to know.

"Finn hates me."

"So?"

"So I don't want to put Rey in the middle of that."

"Have you considered, you know, actually talking to Finn?" Dameron asks. "Maybe he doesn't hate you quite as much as you think."

The thought has never occurred to Ben...but he can't make himself believe it. "I'm sure he does," he mutters, not meeting Dameron's eyes. He's still looking down at his mug of caf when he hears the pilot slide something to him. "What is it?" he asks.

"A holo," Dameron says. "It has the contact info for Finn's program." Ben opens his mouth to protest, but Dameron is already standing up. "Just think about it," he says quietly. It's so sincere that Ben doesn't know what to say to the pilot's retreating back.

* * *

Ben carries a comm around in his pocket for the next three days, debating what to do. Deep down, he knows that he wants to talk to Finn, it's just a matter of actually convincing himself that it's the right thing to do.

He then spends the next four days trying to come up with an appropriate conversation starter.

 _I’m sorry about that one time I sliced your back open_ is probably not the best way to start. Ben doesn't have the greatest communication skills, but he at least knows that much. _How's Rey?_ doesn't make sense; she spends just as much time with Finn as she does with Ben. Finally, he settles on _I hear you've got a stormtrooper rehabilitation program. Are you interested in taking on a non-stormtrooper First Order deserter?_ He hits send before he can think any more about it, heart pounding as he awaits a response that he's not sure he's going to get or not.

To his surprise, however, Finn sends a message back within an hour. _Ben?_ Then: _Did Rey tell you about this?_

 _She did,_ Ben types, _but Dameron was the one who gave me your contact info._

There's a pause where Ben's heart is pounding as he tries to remind himself that rebuilding doesn't happen overnight. _Do you want to discuss this in person?_ Finn finally sends back.

Ben: _I'm under house arrest. I'm rather limited in where I can go._

Finn: _Come by my office. I'm sure they'll let you come here._

Ben: _Now?_

Finn: _Sure, why not?_

He sends some coordinates and five minutes later, Ben is in a speeder headed towards the stormtrooper rehabilitation center, wondering if this is some sort of setup that he's walking into. He still can't believe that Finn forgives him for the fight on Starkiller all those years ago, but Rey's words float into his mind: _Just because you scarred him doesn’t mean he hates you._

Ben isn't sure what he's expecting from the building, but it looks good, considering half of it is still under some sort of construction. Finn is waiting just outside the entrance to the half of the building that's not under construction. "Solo," he greets when Ben gets out of the speeder.

"Finn." He starts to hold out his hand, then pauses, wondering what the protocol is in this situation. How does one greet their partner's other partner, who they once tried to kill?

Finn notices the half gesture, but he doesn't acknowledge it. "Come on," he says instead, turning around to lead Ben into the building. "Let me show you my office."

Ben is struck by the way the building resembles a school. Not the kind of school he attended with Luke, but the kind of school he attended when he was young, back when the New Republic was based on Chandrila. There are classrooms and holoscreens on the walls with notices displaying on them. They pass a few other people in the building, but overall it's quiet.

Once they're in Finn's office, he closes the door behind Ben. "Sit," he says, indicating the chair on one side of the desk covered in a mess of holos and datatapes of all sorts. He pauses, weighing his next words. "I have to ask," he says. "Did Rey put you up to this?"

"Rey doesn't know anything about this," Ben says.

Finn frowns, clearly surprised by this answer. "You didn't tell her?"

There's no non-awkward way to say it. "I don't want to get her hopes up that you and I, uh. Well. You hate me."

"I don't hate you."

It's Ben's turn to be surprised. "You—what? Really?" Then: " _Why_?"

Finn looks down at the desk. "I did," he admits. "For a while. I didn't understand why you wanted to be in the Order, and then I didn't understand why you stayed, especially since...well, you know. That thing you have with Rey."

"The Force bond." He's almost never said the words aloud, and they feel strange in his mouth. It's a little uncomfortable, bringing up something so personal. Maybe Finn doesn't know all the details, but he knows that it exists. Rey told him about it long before Ben abandoned the First Order to fight with the Resistance.

"Yeah. That." He's still looking down at his desk when he adds, "And then things changed, and suddenly you were working with us, and you and I never really got a chance to sit down and talk about it. Then by the time we had the time to do so, it was just easier to not acknowledge it."

Ben nods. "Are you saying we took the easy way out by not sorting our shit out earlier?"

"I thought you'd assume Rey had asked me to talk to you. I didn't think you'd believe that I actually wanted to talk to you."

Finn's admission is surprising. Even more surprising is the way he's still looking away, although it's obvious that he's embarrassed. Force signatures don't lie. Usually. "Well," Ben says unsteadily. "I'm here now. So what next?"

* * *

Finn's program is still in the early stages, but they already have a number of former stormtroopers involved. Some of the higher-ranking stormtrooper captains and commanders are sitting in New Republic prisons, awaiting trial, but so many stormtroopers were just normal soldiers like Finn who had never had a choice in the matter. Even for people who weren't so involved in the war, it's difficult to cope with the changes as the galaxy moves towards peace again. For those who were actually fighting in it, old habits don't leave so easily. "We're still working on a curriculum, but we've already got some instructors from former universities who are running basic life skills courses." He gives Ben a wry smile that does something funny to his insides. "The stormtrooper curriculum was a little limited." Ben wasn't involved in any of the stormtrooper training, but he's seen the anti-Republic propaganda videos.

After all, he's in some of them.

"We also run group therapy. Post-traumatic stress disorder is—"

"I know what PTSD is," Ben says quietly. According to a checklist he found on the HoloNet site for Finn’s program, he’s intimately familiar with the ins and outs of it. (Funny how that happens when your uncle tries to kill you. Ben hadn’t been aware that there was a name for the nightmares, fear, and paranoia that he’s experienced ever since that night.)

Finn pauses, giving Ben a look he can't decipher. "Right," he says. He looks like he's about to say something else on the subject. Ben is dying to know what's going through his mind. There are a lot of things Rey could have told Finn about him...but it's just as likely that Finn's paid enough attention to Ben to notice this. The thought that Finn has been watching him makes Ben feel warm. All this time, he's thought that Rey is the only other person in the galaxy who wants to know him. The idea that Finn might, too, is...intriguing.

And thrilling.

They've spent the last hour walking around the center, and now they're back in Finn's office. He's so passionate about the program. The energy with which he's speaking is almost infectious, and Ben finds himself asking if he can get involved before he realizes that his skillset and general demeanor are probably the opposite of what the former stormtroopers need. "Or I can just keep out," he adds quietly. Shyly.

"No, of course we want you here." Ben must not look convinced, because Finn seems to come to another decision. "It's getting late," he says, looking at the chrono. "I need to leave. Can we continue this later?"

"Yeah, sure." Rey gets out of work soon and she's coming over to his place tonight. Finn must be aware of those plans, but Ben's not sure what the boundaries are for their shared relationship with Rey. _It’s my turn to sleep with our shared girlfriend tonight_ is probably not the best way to put it.

"Tell you what," Finn says. "Are you free for dinner tomorrow? I think Rey has to go offworld for a day or two, but you're welcome to come over for dinner and we can discuss this further."

Ben’s surprised by the way the corners of his mouth quirk upward. "I'd like that."

Finn's answering smile is wonderful. "It's a date, then."

* * *

Dinner with Finn sounded a lot better yesterday when Ben wasn't panicking about what this meant. When he'd said 'It's a date,' had he meant a date date? Or just two friends who happened to share the same romantic partner? Does that make their relationship inherently...something non-platonic?

Ben doesn’t know if he’s grateful that Rey isn’t around to see his minor breakdown about this or if he wishes she were there to reassure him that everything is going to be fine. He’s oddly self-conscious about it (should he bring something? He has a vague recollection about proper dining etiquette taught to him by the family protocol droid when he was a kid) but by the time he’s calling a speeder to take him to Finn’s apartment, it’s too late to worry about it.

Finn seems happy to see him, even if there’s a slightly nervous vibe he’s giving off as he greets Ben. “I ordered takeout,” he says as he leads Ben into his apartment. “I hope you like spicy food.”

For all that it’s initially a bit awkward, they fall into conversation quickly. Finn and Ben discuss the way they both had to adjust to life with the Resistance initially. It’s common knowledge what happened to Ben during the war—of course it was; he was the Supreme Leader for a time—but Ben’s surprised that Finn doesn’t know all of the details. “I figured Rey would have told you all this,” he remarks.

Finn shakes his head. “She’s always said it was your story to tell, not hers.” Ben probably shouldn’t be surprised by that, but he’s assumed that Rey told Finn everything that had happened between them long before he became a more permanent fixture in her life. “Besides,” Finn adds. “I’d rather hear it from you.” And then: “I guess she hasn’t told you much about me, either?”

“I guess I could say the same,” Ben admits. “I’d rather hear your story from you, too.”

* * *

Somehow, the conversation comes around to calligraphy. They finished eating ages ago, but neither of them is in any hurry to end the evening. “It’s a weird hobby, I know,” Ben says. “But it helped me a lot when I was younger. It was really grounding in a way that sitting around meditating wasn't. And then after I..." He pauses to let himself examine Finn's facial expression. Ben doesn't think Rey told Finn any of this, and for a brief moment, he wishes she were there to tell Finn. It's still difficult for Ben to say the words _My uncle, the Jedi savior of the New Republic, tried to kill me while I slept one night._

"Hey," Finn says softly, laying a hand on Ben's arm. It’s a surprisingly intimate gesture; not a lot of people want to get within easy reach of him. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. You don't have to."

Ben knows this, but he appreciates the reminder. "Maybe I'll tell you about it someday."

The smile Finn gives him in return is soft and lovely and huh, okay, maybe he's starting to see why Rey likes this guy so much. "So, calligraphy," Finn says. "Is that something you could teach?"

"Teach? Me?"

"Yeah, you," Finn says, finally moving his hand off of Ben's arm. He's suddenly cold where the former stormtrooper's hand just was, but maybe that's all in his head. "I want to get more community engagement, you know? Obviously we have trained professionals handling the serious therapy, but I think it's good to offer free classes and other events open to the public. Maybe you could teach a calligraphy class sometime. Sort of like an art therapy thing."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Having the former Supreme Leader of the First Order teaching former First Order stormtroopers calligraphy sounds like the potential for disaster. Never mind the fact that the only lessons Ben’s ever successfully taught were lessons in destruction.

Finn frowns. "You mean for you, or for them?"

"Either. Both."

"If you're uncomfortable doing it, then don't worry about it," Finn says. "There's plenty of help I could use behind-the-scenes, if you don't want to interact with any of the clients."

Ben's afraid to disappoint him, but he's even more afraid of what would happen if he tried to teach a bunch of his former underlings how to write things in a fancy script. "I'll think about the calligraphy thing," he mutters, looking down at the table. He's afraid of what he'll see on Finn's face. Ben has spent far too much of his life being a disappointment. He doesn't need it from Finn as well.

"Great." Finn sounds surprisingly relieved, and when Ben forces his gaze back up again, Finn is giving him a small smile. "I'm happy that you want to get involved in this, Ben."

* * *

After that first dinner (date? Ben still hasn’t figured that out), dinner with Finn becomes a regular thing whether or not Rey is around. She’s thrilled that her partners are now getting along. Ben doesn’t even need a Force bond to see how happy it makes her. “It’s not just that you two are friends now,” she says to Ben one night while they’re curled up together. How their pillow talk started to involve a third person, he isn’t quite sure, but it’s too late to back out of the conversation now. “Although I’m really happy about that. I’m glad you’re getting involved in Finn’s program. I think it’s really good for you two.”

“I can’t believe I volunteered to give calligraphy lessons, of all things.”

“Well, it’s not like they need lightsaber training, is it?” Her tone is light, but the question still stings. His lightsaber was destroyed as part of the conditions of his release, and he hasn’t been allowed off-world to go procure the kyber crystal required to build another.

(Ironically, Rey had lobbied against that particular ruling, claiming that she needed a teacher.)

When he doesn’t reply, she sighs. “It’s a new galaxy out there,” she says, wrapping her arms around him. “We still need art, even during reconstruction.” He isn’t sure where that particular thought came from—for all her talents, Rey isn’t much for anything that can’t be repurposed as a tool or food—but it’s sweet that she’s trying.

* * *

Ben doesn't realize just how routine his evenings with Finn have become until one night when he awakens to Rey shaking him. He can't figure out why she’s standing in front of him and not under or beside him, since there's someone else there. A moment later, Rey's expression softens into something sweet and affectionate as she shakes Finn awake, too. It’s unclear how they ended up falling asleep on the couch with his head in Finn's lap, Finn’s hand warm on Ben’s shoulder, but no matter. "Get up," Rey says to them. "You'll hate yourselves in the morning if you keep sleeping on the couch."

Ben's already pushing himself up to stand next to Rey, but Finn is still blinking sleepily. "Sorry," Finn mumbles. "I'll call a hover to—"

"You're not calling a hover," Rey interrupts, pulling him to his feet. "You can just sleep here." She and Ben exchange glances. "Right?" she asks, but it's more for Finn's benefit than Ben's. She already knows his answer.

"Come on," Ben says, too sleepy to deal with the boundary they're about to cross. "It’s a big bed. There’s plenty of space."

He wakes up the next morning spooning Rey, and he's hard. Neither of these things are particularly unusual; the presence of a third person in the bed, however, is. It takes him a moment to remember how and why Finn is there, but to Ben's surprise, he likes it. Rey is awake already; he can hear her and Finn whispering, and then the sound of them kissing. He doesn’t know if she realizes that Ben's awake; if she does, she doesn't seem to care.

Ben likes his routines. Thrives on them. Depends on them. So it's confusing that he doesn't mind having Finn around even though he still wants to go for a round of morning sex with Rey. Do Rey and Finn have a similar morning routine to the one he and Rey have? It's quite likely. More often than not, his morning with Rey involve a lot less clothing than what they're wearing now.

It’s not the first time he’s wondered what Rey’s sex life is like with Finn, but it’s the first time Ben has actually imagined it. And now that he’s thought about what they might look like, having sex in Ben’s bed while he’s watching them, he knows it’s something he’s going to think about again later on when he’s alone.

Something must have alerted Rey that Ben's awake, because she threads her fingers through his where they're resting on her stomach, her thumb rubbing slow circles on his hand. Ben buries his face in her hair, not bothered by the fact that he's pretty sure she and Finn are still kissing.

Is it weird that he wants to watch?

"Morning," Rey mumbles to Ben. In response, he mumbles something nonsensical to the effect of _Give me five more minutes_. She squeezes his hand once, then pushes him away and sits up. "Get up," she says to both of them. "We're making breakfast."

"I should really go," Finn says, sitting up as well. "I don’t want to get in the way."

"You're not in the way." It's not until Rey and Finn both turn to give Ben surprised looks that he realizes he's the one who spoke. "It's fine," he says, sounding less steady than he'd like. "You're welcome to stay. If you'd like." When no one makes a move, Ben starts to feel the familiar anxiety snake up through his veins, the panic that he's misjudged something critically important. They're on the brink of something here. A change. Ben isn't completely sure how he feels about it, but he’s certain that he doesn't want to fuck it up. "You think about it. I'm going to shower," he says, pushing himself up in a way that he hopes doesn't make it obvious that he's still hard. (He can't decide whether or not he wants Rey to ask him about it later.)

When he gets out of the shower feeling much more awake and refreshed, Finn is still in the apartment, helping Rey make omelettes for breakfast. All three of them have places to be later on this morning, but Ben finds that he likes the scene of them working together. Something flutters in his chest as he watches Finn kiss Rey’s temple. He's pretty sure that he and Finn share the same strong feelings about making sure Rey never goes hungry, and he likes having that shared connection.

Is it normal to feel affection like this for your partner's partner? It's not like Ben has anywhere he can go for relationship advice, particularly for an unconventional relationship such as theirs. He almost doesn't want to disturb them, but Rey knows he's watching them, and she doesn't give him the option to continue observing. "Come on," she says, smiling at him. "Breakfast is almost ready."

It's domestic and bizarre, but as Ben sinks his teeth into his omelette with Rey and Finn seated at the small table in his kitchen, he finds he doesn't mind it at all.

* * *

"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this," Ben says through clenched teeth. After weeks of discussion, research, and planning, it’s the date of the trial calligraphy lesson he’s giving to a handful of former stormtroopers who either aren’t absolutely terrified of him, or have no idea he used to be their boss. "Why did I let you talk me into doing this?"

"Okay, first of all,” Finn says, holding up a finger. "I didn't talk you into doing anything. _No one_ can talk you into doing anything. You're stubborn as all hell, and Rey would agree with me if she were here." He has a point, even though Ben still wants to fight him on it. Which just proves Finn’s point, actually, so he keeps his mouth shut. "Second of all," Finn says, "it's going to be great. This is a good thing you're— _we're_ doing. You told me that calligraphy always makes you feel calmer. More stable. Maybe it will have that effect on other people as well."

And that is how Ben Solo, formerly known as Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader of the First Order, finds himself standing at the front of a small classroom, giving calligraphy lessons to former stormtroopers.

There aren't a lot of them there. Only five people. Whether that's because the program is so new or because everyone's scared of Ben, it's impossible to know. "Go on," Finn whispers, nudging him. Ben gives his friend (are they friends?) one last nervous look before walking to the front of the room.

The stormtroopers are muttering amongst themselves. Ben wonders who they are and where they served. Has he ever met any of them before? It's impossible to know. Hux's program made sure of that. "Uh, hi," he says. No. Not like that. Too timid. "Welcome to art therapy."

It goes surprisingly well. After the awkward start, the familiar pull of calligraphy calms him down, and the stormtroopers seem to relax a bit, too. He asks them for their names, unsure of whether or not he'll get numbers and designations. Finn has told him that they used to use nicknames with each other, even though it wasn't allowed. "Not all of them do, though," he said when he was explaining stormtrooper life to Ben one night. "I never did. Not until I left. Poe was the one who gave me my name."

"I knew it was you," Ben had said suddenly. "The stormtrooper who helped Poe Dameron escape. I knew it was you. Because of what happened in Tuanul." Finn had seemed surprised by this information, although it had been unclear to Ben if it was good surprised or bad surprised.

Now, Ben is going over the tools used for calligraphy. They'd been able to purchase some paper—actual _paper_ —and pens, and he hands the supplies out to the class. "Don't worry about how the letters look right now," he says. "I just want you to get comfortable writing them." It's rare that anyone writes things down these days, so most people are unused to forming the letters themselves. The stormtroopers surprise him, though; a couple of them have a knack for it, and soon they're all having fun writing their names and nonsensical phrases like _My hovercraft is full of eels_.

In the end, the lesson passes in the blink of an eye. For all that he'd been on the brink of a panic attack an hour ago, Ben feels great now. The former stormtroopers are still a little nervous, but they seem more relaxed as well, and Ben finds himself hoping that they'll bring more friends next time. Because yes, he does want there to be a next time, even though he's been telling Finn for weeks that this was going to be a trial thing.

The class leaves, and Ben cleans up the supplies and locks them away in a rush, needing to find Finn to let him know how it went. But when he turns around after locking the supply closet, Finn is already standing at the front of the room. "How'd it go?" he asks, smiling at Ben.

High on the success of the lesson, Ben's next actions feel like the most natural response in the galaxy. "It went really well," he says, returning Finn's smile.

"That's great, Ben. I'm so gl—" He's cut off as Ben grabs his face and pulls him in for a kiss.

Ben has absolutely not been planning this. He hasn't even thought—well, okay, maybe _some_ part of him has been thinking about this. It's impossible not to feel some affection for his partner's other partner, even before they started working on this project. Finn lets out a small noise of surprise, but he doesn't push Ben away. The kiss isn't particularly long or deep, and a moment later, Ben's brain catches up to what he's actually doing and he drops his hands and steps back from Finn. "Oh," he says, feeling his face heat up. "Sorry, I—"

Finn doesn't give him a chance to finish that thought as he wraps his arms around Ben's neck and kisses him, almost in the reverse position they were in only a moment ago. This time, the kiss is longer, and Ben wraps his arms around Finn's waist, pulling him closer.

Ben can't help but compare Finn's kiss to Rey's kisses. Not because one is better than the other, but because the dynamic is so different. He lacks the psychic connection that he and Rey have with the Force, but he doesn't feel like he's missing anything here. Without a mental link to Finn, he finds he’s able to focus more on the physical sensations of Finn’s lips parting and his tongue sliding into Ben’s mouth. They eventually come up for air, but they don't let go of each other. "Hi," Ben says weakly, forehead pressed against Finn’s.

"This isn't a rejection," Finn whispers, "but this is probably not the best place to do this." He gives Ben one last quick kiss before pulling away. "And maybe we should talk to Rey," he adds.

"I don't think she's going to have a problem with this," Ben says, although he agrees with Finn. As much as he wants to explore this new dynamic, he doesn't want to completely exclude Rey. Even though she's never asked him how he feels about Finn, he knows she'll be happy that their dynamic has changed this way.

Ben’s self-control has never been great, but right now it’s especially difficult to stop himself from saying _fuck it_ and locking himself and Finn in a supply closet instead of letting Finn finish up everything for the day. Up until ten minutes ago, he’d planned on ending the class, dropping Finn a quick note telling him how it went, then heading home. Ben is practically vibrating with his need to figure out what the hell this means, aside from maybe making his fantasies about watching Finn and Rey together come true. Finn seems to be holding himself together better, although it’s impossible to miss the heated looks he’s giving Ben while he locks his office. “So,” Finn murmurs, turning to face Ben. “Your place or mine?”

Ben gives into the temptation to steal another kiss before answering. “Mine,” he says. “Rey’s coming over later anyway.”

He really does want to wait for Rey so that they can discuss what this all means together, but as soon as they’re inside Ben’s apartment, Finn pounces on him and next thing Ben knows, he’s lying on the couch with Finn on top of him. He has a vague thought that maybe they should figure out how to explain this to Rey, but it’s buried under all the ways Finn is touching him right now.

It’s not until he’s in the process of trying to determine whether or not it would be acceptable to slide his hands up under the hem of Finn’s shirt that he realizes they’re not alone. “I thought I felt a disturbance in the Force,” Rey says dryly. She’s joking, but when Ben pulls away from Finn to look at her, her face is flushed. Clearly, she likes what she’s seeing.

“Uh,” Ben says, at a complete loss for words.

Finn isn’t much better off. “A disturbance in the Force?”

“It’s a joke,” Ben explains, but Finn is already sitting up in an attempt to rearrange himself and Ben to be in a less compromising position.

“Okay, if this is going to work, you both need to explain that Force thing a little better,” Finn says.

“Force bond,” both Rey and Ben correct in unison. Finn raises an eyebrow, further proving his point. “And by ‘this,’ you mean…?” Ben adds.

Finn waves a hand, indicating all three of them. “This. The three of us.”

Ben feels his heart speed up. “The three of us?”

It’s Rey, however, who reacts the most. Ben can feel her heart swelling in the Force. It’s so strong that even Force-blind Finn must notice. “The three of us,” she says, smiling at them. “I like that. I’ve been hoping for this for a long time.”

**Author's Note:**

> I can be found on tumblr as [radioactivesaltghoul](https://radioactivesaltghoul.tumblr.com/) and twitter as [r_saltghoul](https://twitter.com/r_saltghoul). If you liked this, check out the rest of the anthology; there's a lot of good stuff in it!


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